Not only are Brighton scoring more than anyone else in the Premier League, they’re also netting finer goals.
Centre‑half Lewis Dunk claimed September’s Premier League Goal of the Month with a 35‑yard strike at Coventry, but that accolade has already been surpassed.
Enter Seagulls’ Diego Gomez, who launched a shot from midfield after spotting Palace keeper Walter Benítez off his line during Brighton’s 5‑0 demolition on Sunday.
Benítez sprinted back, dove desperately, yet the ball slipped beneath the crossbar.
‘As soon as I struck it, I knew it was in. He’s taken the club’s goal of the season from me,’ joked skipper Dunk.
‘That’s the season’s top goal, what a strike,’ added former striker Efan Ekoku, BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra commentator. ‘Brilliantly hit, right over the keeper’s head from the centre‑circle.’
Gomez’s seventh‑minute, 51‑metre blast at the Amex put Brighton 2‑0 up, the longest Premier League strike since Wayne Rooney’s 58‑metre winner for Everton in November 2017.
‘When I scored I wasn’t sure where to run,’ said the 23‑year‑old Paraguayan midfielder. ‘I saw the keeper a step ahead and was thrilled with the finish.’
Former Newcastle custodian Shay Given, now a Match of the Day pundit, likened the goal to David Beckham’s 1996 Wimbledon strike and added, ‘I can’t blame Benítez at all.’
‘We always talk about sweeper keepers; you need to stay high for the through ball and a high defensive line. His positioning was spot‑on.’
‘Take your hat off to Gomez – a truly brilliant goal,’ the former England international praised.
Brighton have never finished above sixth in the top flight, yet they sit on 16 points from seven games. For my money, they’re on track to challenge for Europe.
Their 23 league goals outpace leaders Manchester City by four and dwarf champions Arsenal’s 11.
Since the Premier League’s 1992 inception, only Arsenal (2009‑10, 24), Manchester United (2011‑12, 24) and Manchester City (2019‑20, 27) have netted more in their opening seven fixtures.
Across Europe’s big five leagues, only Barcelona, with 39 goals from nine La Liga matches, have a higher domestic tally.
With ten different scorers, third‑placed Brighton have also provided the season’s most entertaining football.
They opened with a 4‑0 win over Aston Villa (who finished fourth in 2025‑26), and Fabian Hurzeler’s side proved it wasn’t a fluke, later thrashing Coventry 5‑0, Arsenal 3‑0, Sunderland 2‑0 despite a red card, and Palace 5‑0.
In the Carabao Cup they rallied from 2‑0 down to win 3‑2 at Old Trafford, ousting Manchester United. In Europe they’ve lived up to Conference League favourites, beating Tromsø and Kauno Žalgiris 4‑0 on aggregate.
For Hurzeler, the youngest permanent Premier League manager (appointed June 2024 at 31), the atmosphere at the Amex now feels worlds apart from that February clash with Palace.
Back then Brighton sat 14th, with just one win in 12 league games, and supporters jeered, ‘you’ll be sacked tomorrow,’ at their own boss.
So it’s no surprise Hurzeler remains grounded despite the surge.
He swiftly dismissed any title‑race chatter: ‘We must stay humble. The season is long.’
‘We keep pushing, never get complacent, and remember why we’re succeeding now to maintain this level.’
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Hurzeler also stressed keeping Gomez modest.
‘Scoring a goal like that isn’t simple,’ he said. ‘Everyone talks about it, but we must focus on the small, easy passes we missed.’
‘Celebrating is fine, yet there’s still room for improvement, especially individually.’
‘We don’t practice 50‑metre shots. He has a great finish, but precision on long kicks and quick decision‑making made it impressive.’
Brighton fans will cherish this win, but the next five fixtures all head away from the Amex.
The itinerary features league trips to Liverpool and Manchester City, another Etihad clash in the Carabao Cup last‑16, plus Conference League away games in the Czech Republic and Spain against Jablonec and Getafe.
When Brighton return on 8 November to host Brentford, we’ll see just how optimistic Seagulls supporters can be.
Given recalled Leicester’s 2016 surge and Blackburn’s 1995 rise, noting they could still shake things up despite a long winter ahead.
Competing in Europe will test them, yet their start remains unbelievable, with set‑pieces delivering nine league goals.
They’ve netted the most and kept the joint‑most clean sheets – a solid foundation for any team, isn’t it?!
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